suppose that Holladay could be
mixed up with any other woman. He certainly has not been for the last
quarter of a century--but before that--well, it's not so certain. And
there's one striking point which seems to indicate his guilt."

"Yes--you mean, of course, her resemblance to his daughter."

"Precisely. Such a resemblance must exist--a resemblance unusual, even
striking--or it would not for a moment have deceived Rogers. We must
remember, however, that Rogers's office was not brilliantly lighted,
and that he merely glanced at her. Still, whatever minor differences
there may have been, she had the air, the general appearance, the look
of Miss Holladay. Mere facial resemblance may happen in a hundred
ways, by chance; but the air, the look, the 'altogether' is very
different--it indicates a blood relationship. My theory is that she is
an illegitimate child, perhaps four or five years older than Miss
Holladay."

I paused to consider. The theory was reasonable, and yet it had its
faults.

"Now, let's see where this leads us," he continued. "Let us assume
that Holladay has been providing for this illegitimate daughter for
years. At last, for some reason, he is induced to withdraw this
support; or, perhaps, the girl thinks her allowance insufficient. At
any rate, after, let us suppose, ineffectual appeals by letter, she
does the desperate thing of calling at his office to protest in
person. She finds him inexorable--we know his reputation for obstinacy
when he had once made up his mind. She reproaches him--she is already
desperate, remember--and he answers with that stinging sarcasm for
which he was noted. In an ecstacy of anger, she snatches up the knife
and stabs him; then, in an agony of remorse, endeavors to check the
blood. She sees at last that it is useless, that she cannot save him,
and leaves the office. All this is plausible, isn't it?"

"Very plausible," I assented, looking at him in some astonishment.
"You forget one thing, however. Rogers testified that he was
intimately acquainted with the affairs of his employer, and that he
would inevitably have known of any intrigue such as you suggest."

My companion paused for a moment's thought.

"I don't believe that Rogers would so inevitably have known of it," he
said, at last. "But, admit that--then there is another theory.
Holladay has _not_ been supporting his illegitimate child, who learns
of her parentage, and goes to him to demand her rights. That fits